Death, Phantom Blade, Memories, Ressurection
by Blueblade11
Summary: What would happen if Kirito died in the final battle against Kayaba? Who will lead the clearers after the departure of their strongest allies? Who is the mysterious owner of Phantom Blade ? What is with the title? Why are there not enough genres? Introducing OCs, new Unique Skills, technical terms and more! Please review!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

**Death**

…I picked up Asuna's silver rapier, and with the last vestiges of my strength moved forward into a final thrust, lunging for the centre of Kayaba Akihito's chest. Kayaba didn't move. His expression of surprise had already disappeared— a sad smile stretched across his face, and I couldn't tell whether I had succeeded or not.

For a moment, we simply stood there, with swords that penetrated each other's' bodies. I used the last of my strength to force my head up and look at the ceiling. From somewhere, I could hear Asuna calling.

_Kirito…_

_ Is this enough...?_

I could see a HP bar hovering above my head. The gauge was almost empty, save for a few dots.

_Is this the end…?_

Whose HP bar was it? My vision was fading now, and I could barely see. Using the last of my strength, I held my head in position.

_ It's…it's not mine._

I could feel myself disintegrating at this point, the remains of my virtual body fading away into a shower of polygons and light. From somewhere far away, I could hear the others shouting out, but their cries merged into a meaningless wave of words.

But regardless, their meaning was clear. In the last few moments of my existence, with my body almost fully erased, only the merest hints of my head remained. My lips moved, barely forming words that anyone could hear. I wasn't even sure if she would hear them.

But I knew she would.

_"I'm sorry…Asuna."_

And then I died.

Silence.

Heathcliff, or rather Kayaba, remained standing. It seemed as though an eternity had passed, and yet Kirito's last moments were over in a matter of seconds. Slowly, Kayaba reached for his chest, and with a minimal amount of effort pulled out Asuna's rapier, grunting slightly in the process. The tip finally exited from his body, and with a clatter he dropped the weapon onto the floor. It clattered uselessly against the ground, rolling around in a spiral before eventually stopping.

Kayaba turned around and headed towards the stairs. He stopped in mid-stride, coming to a stop before the grand pathway. He opened his mouth to speak, and uttered his last words as an ally to the congregation littered across the floor.

"I'll be waiting."

He started to ascend the staircase, allowing a single tear to fall down his cheek. As he climbed he took an object out of his inventory and looked into it. A blue light surrounded him, hiding his features. Reaching the top of the staircase, the light faded, and a young knight could be seen taking one last look at the group of clearers that he had led since the 25th floors. His face was identical to the chinseled face of Heathcliff, and his hair was cropped short in a cut which was identical to his hair in the real world.

Stepping out into the scattered lighting of the 76th floor, he spoke to the air, enunciating his words clearly in a commanding tone.

"Teleport, Ruby Palace."

And then the scientist known as Kayaba Akihiko disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

**Phantom Blade**

As soon as Kayaba had been spirited away, the effects of paralysis wore off.

Slowly, as the shock wore off, many of the players collapsed to the floor, trying to process what had just happened. The 3 strongest players in the entire game had just been taken away from them in a blurred series of lightning fast events. One of them had died defending another. One died fighting for all. And the last was the creator – no, the _god_ – of this godforsaken game. **[A/N Heh pun not intended]** How were they supposed to fight now?

An air of despair fell down upon everyone that was gathered there, trying to figure out what they were supposed to do now. They had beaten the 75th floor. But the cost of that victory was so great, it seemed as though they had already lost the game. They would never be free now. Free of this accursed game, which they had been trapped in for 2 years. Free to live their lives, away from this game of death. Free.

Slowly, their spirits broken, they got to their feet one by one. Many of them were slumped over; and with their backs crooked, they dragged their feet towards the stairs leading to the 76th floor. But none of them had any will left to fight the overwhelming despair that hung above them all. Slowly, they left the boss room, until a single figure was left behind.

His face lit up with a grim smile as he squinted closely at the stats screen hovering in the air. He looked from the screen to his weapon, studying it closely as though this was some kind of trick. Then he opened his inventory, materialised a weapon and equipped it on his loadout screen.

No one knew this player. Indeed, he hardly ever appeared anywhere, endlessly grinding levels far from the prying eyes of other players. But this was not to say that he was out of touch with the news that's travelled around «Aincrad». Namely the black swordsman, Kirito, with his «Unique Skill» «Dual Blades», and the leader of the «Knights of the Blood», Heathcliff, with his «Unique Skill» «Holy Sword». These were assumed to be the only two players that possessed «Unique Skills», and so far no others had been discovered. If they had been, their owners must have kept them a closely guarded secret.

But looking at his screen, he could not believe what was in front of his eyes. He remembered, when he had acquired his «Extra Skill» «Katana», the elation he had felt. This feeling was similar, and yet it went beyond any feelings of achievement he had before.

The figure finally grunted, pulling himself up to his feet, and turning around, left the room.

* * *

**A/N: So, some of you may be wondering about the sub-titles of 'Death' and 'Phantom Blade', and the non-included 'Resurrection' that's in the title. Well, this story originated as several separate one-shots. But I saw links between the different story arcs, and started re-writing them to complement/fit in with each other. One was based on "What if Kirito died in the duel?" which diverged into "He dies and a new hero is born." and "He becomes reborn." Then the reborn became "Reborn with a vengeance because he lost Asuna." and "He finds Asuna and Kayaba above the clouds. (Like the anime)." And then there is the 'Phantom Blade', which is a «Unique Skill» that was inspired by a character from a game I play, «Dota 2», which I plan on introducing in the next chapter. (Imaginary cookie for whoever guesses where I got the inspiration from!) :P**

** Basically, a whole load of half-finished one shots were pulled from an incoherent mess into a cohesive story, which I'm in the middle of editing, re-writing and ordering into arcs and chapters which will [hopefully] convey the story I'm trying to tell. **

** So thanks for bearing with me, since my writing is far from perfect. I hope it's good enough to tell a story though, so thanks for reading, and please review!**

**~BB11, 25/08/13**

**EDIT: Minor formatting edits. Heh.**

**EDIT: Title edit. Woohoo.**


	2. Afterimage

**Phantom Blade – Afterimage**

**Floor 76, 2024****年****11****月****14****日**

The warrior slowly crept closer, making little noise as he traversed over the forest of leaves. His prey was a pack of Lv. 70 «Dire Ogres», and as he came within 10m he activated his «Stealth» skill. Grabbing the weapon in his sheath, he leapt out, and in one smooth move pulled out his «Katana» and activated a series of simple sword skills in quick succession; «Horizontal», «Slant» and «Vertical». As he finished the lightning-fast sequence of moves, a series of ghostly images could be seen executing the quick series of attacks on the group mobs before disappearing. One by one, they shattered into polygons of light, before fading away into the shadowy darkness of the night. Satisfied, he sheathed his sword, and moving his hand forward he acknowledged the message log that had appeared in front of him.

Defeated:  
x5 «Dire Ogre»

Earned:  
45000 «XP»  
20000 «Col»

Drops:  
x4 «Ogre Club»  
x1 «Dire Essence»

A small notification popped up.

«Level Up!»  
Lv. 95 - Lv. 96  
XP to next Lv.: 99995664  
«OK»

As the corners of his mouth moved up, he moved his finger to press the «OK» button, then repeatedly made a tapping motion on the air in front of him.

«Level Attributes»  
«Remaining»: 0  
«STR»: 050 + 0 +/-  
«AGI»: 180 + 2 +/-  
«VIT»: 010 + 0 +/-  
«DEX»: 140 + 2 +/-

Is this OK?  
«Yes» «No»

He selected «Yes», and sheathing his sword moved on to the next hunting ground.

* * *

The katana user was unusual, for he allocated the majority of his points into his «Agility» stat, leaving a negligible amount of «Vitality» for taking hits. But he didn't care, as he never got hit anyway.

In other games, especially those with magic, they would usually have an offensive spell which would hit the target, no matter what, leaving no chance for evasion. But in «Sword Art Online», it was different. Since there were no magic skills, only the quasi-infinite number of «Sword Skills» which existed could deal damage to another object within the game. The skill's effectiveness was based on the «Stats» and «Skill» of the user, with no attack designated as a guaranteed hit. As a result, there were no unavoidable attacks; there were only attacks that were very hard to dodge. These facts mattered greatly to the solo warrior walking across the landscape. The combination of his agility, in addition to his innate skill, made him a very hard target to hit.

As he walked towards the nearest safe zone, the wind picked up his ghostly coloured cloak, revealing a weapon attached to his worn leather belt. It was the intricately designed sheath of his «Dragonsteel Katana», which boasted an increased stat of «+80» «30S30Q20D».

As he played around with the handle of the blade, the pale blue steel of its edge could be seen moving in and out of its sheath, its surface reflecting a myriad of ghostly images. Rapidly shifting lights could be seen dancing over the exposed portion of the blade, before promptly disappearing as the katana user pushed it back into its sheath.

On the opposite side of his belt the shape of a dagger could be seen, its colour identical to his katana's blade. It was buffed with a variety of effects, which included a «DoT» and a «Mini-Stun» among others. The effect which applied to the target was dependent on the skill that he used in conjunction with his «Katana», which in itself could use in excess of 100 different sword skills.

But the most noteworthy feature about the «Katana» user was that he possessed a «Unique Skill»; a skill which was unique to the individual, and which could not be acquired by others. His skill was «Phantom Blade», a skill which allowed for him to use a variety of other ghost-like «Sword Skills» in combat. For example, the skill which he had used to easily clear the earlier group of mobs was «Afterimage». «Afterimage» allowed him to create a phantom copy of himself which would then execute whatever «Sword Skills» he had used on nearby available targets. The effectiveness of this skill increased with the users speed and agility, and its power was directly related to the players own skill. After acquiring «Afterimage», the player had grinded endlessly, making his way from Lv. 40 to Lv. 80 within a month.

But as he discovered, «Afterimage» had its drawbacks. It could only replicate skills that he used within a 3 second delay. In addition, he found it was hard to control the multiple images during combat, and so was for the moment was limited to replicating phantoms on groups of similar shaped mobs. But he was determined to increase the effectiveness of the skill that he had been given, and so he worked at increasing his skill and speed, working endlessly to achieve a level above everyone else.

Eventually he found that he could increase the number of images by increasing his own speed. He increased in ability, finding ways to attack the same target multiple times in a single second. His body was able to move fast enough to replicate the attacks of two swordsmen, and in doing so he was effectively able to double the amount of phantoms that he created.

Then one day, he opened his skill screen to find another «Unique Skill». It was just after the boss battle of the 75th floor, after the departure of the 3 strongest players in the clearing group to another plane. It was a skill that had been bestowed on a player before him, and when that player had died he inherited his skill. It was «Dual Blades», a skill bestowed upon the player with the highest reaction speed in the game. But if he had it, it would mean one of two things; that the skill itself was not a «Unique Skill»; or the original owner was dead. But in the moment he saw the notification on the screen, he knew that it was the latter. It was still a «Unique Skill».

He knew this, because of the events that had occurred in front of his eyes.

He had seen the previous owner of this skill fall at the hands of the creator of this game.

He had watched him as Kayaba had stabbed him in the chest, before disintegrating into meaningless bits of data.

He could have only observed helpless, unable to do anything to save «Aincrad's» greatest hero, as they moved on to the next world.

He was one of the few, and yet one of the many, that had seen Kirito die.

* * *

**Terms and Things:**

**«Insert Phrase Here»** - Something I picked up from reading the translated LN. English words in the Japanese text. (I assume?)

**DoT** – Damage over time.

**LN** – Light Novel. Sword Art Online originated from a Light Novel, which is a form of literature in Japan. Look it up on Wikipedia!

**«+80» «30S30Q20D»** - +80 stats, (30 Sharpness, 30 Quickness, 20 Durability). Part of SAO's Weapon Enhancement Parameters.

From the SAO Wiki:

_ "Weapons have the following enhancement parameters that determine stats: Sharpness, Quickness, Accuracy, Heaviness, and Durability. When a weapon is given to an NPC or player smith to upgrade, bonuses such as +1 or +2 are appended select categories. Players use an abbreviated notation to describe the effective bonuses on a weapon. «1A2H1D» for example, has +1 Accuracy, +2 Heaviness, and +1 Durability."_

**SAO** – «Sword Art Online», derp. ಠ_ಠ

**Levelling up stats** – In SAO, when you level up you get to put points into «Strength» or «Agility». The system isn't actually described in detail, so I made my own system.

[Insert Deleted Stuff Here]

**Year****年****Month****月****Day****日**- The format for writing the date with Japanese Kanji. [YYYY/MM/DD] I personally think it makes it look cooler.

* * *

**EDIT: Yeah, I'm nit-picking a bit, so I changed a few things.**


	3. Above the Clouds

**Death - Above the Clouds**

**Floor ?, 2024****年****11****月****8****日**

I woke up.

Light surrounded me, with the first rays of the sun shining down upon my face. As I worked my dulled mind into gear, I slowly sat up, my head still clouded with the numbness of sleep.

_ …What is this place?_

I was standing on a thick crystal floor. White, fluffy clouds rolled slowly across the endless sky beneath the transparent tiles. When I raised my head, I could see a vivid blue that stretched far beyond the horizon. I could hear the wind blowing softly in the background, becoming a soft orchestra of soothing tones.

It was a small, round disk of crystal which floated amongst the clouds in the empty skies. I experimentally inspected my surroundings, and finding I was on the edge I quickly moved my body from the dizzying height.

_ …What is this place? My body should have disappeared after shattering. Am I still in SAO… or did I arrive in the afterlife?_

I raised my right hand and waved a finger about. A window appeared with a familiar sound effect, displaying a clear drop down menu.

_ So, this place is still inside SAO._

As I shrugged and closed the window, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.

"Kirito-kun…"

It was like a voice from heaven.

I turned around. In the distance I could make out a shadowy figure set against the shining backdrop of the rising sun. Shock coursed through my body. The figure even looked angelic. They were dressed in a uniform of red on white, with a short mini-skirt and thigh high socks.

_ No…It can't be!_

_ …Can it?_

I tried calling out, but my voice was weak, and my cries came out as an unintelligible croak barely louder than a whisper. I tried getting to his feet, but my body collapsed with. I tried to think.

I tried raising my knees, but I did not have the strength to lift them away from the ground. Finally, I tried moving my hands, and succeeded in dragging myself a short distance. I repeated this motion, and slowly I moved over the crystal surface I was on, attempting to crawl over to her, barely able to believe who it was.

_ Asuna?_

_ No…_

"Kirito-kun!"

I was stunned for a moment, before resuming my path towards the figure. Hearing her voice, I found the strength to stand, then run, and as she watched I slowed down until I was standing in front of her, struggling to hold in the tears threatening to fall out of my eyes.

"…Asuna."

Her long, chestnut hair drifted softly in the wind. As I watched her, feeling as though she could disappear at any moment, I reached out a hand towards her. But even though her gentle, smiling face was impossibly close, it felt as though she was a million miles away.

Right now, I thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world, and as she stood there, her body was lit up by the shining light of the rising sun.

Managing to form a small smile, I spoke.

"Sorry. I died as well…"

"…Idiot."

As we stood I reached my arms to embrace her. She did the same, and the both of us took a few steps forward before collapsing onto the ground in each other's arms. As we held each other tightly, I let out the waves of tears I had struggled to hold in until now. My body shuddered, and as I sobbed I struggled to voice the words that were in my heart.

"I swear…I won't let go again. Asuna. I swear…I will never let you go."

As my words came out of my mouth, I could sense that my shoulder was becoming damp. Realising that it was from her tears, I held her shoulders and turned her face towards mine. I moved my lips towards hers, and we melted into each other.

After kissing for what seemed like an eternity, we finally managed to pull our faces apart from each other. There were so many things that I wanted to say. But I felt like there was no longer any need for words. Instead, I shifted my gaze towards the sky far beyond us and spoke.

"This… what is this place?"

Asuna silently turned her gaze downwards and pointed with her fingers. I looked in that direction.

Far below where we were— something floated in the skies. It was shaped like a cone with the tip cut off, with numerous floors overlapping one another. As I focused my eyes, I could even make out the many features of the mountains, forests, lakes, and cities that were scattered over the levels of the structure. After a few seconds, I came to the same conclusion that Asuna had.

"Aincrad…"

Asuna nodded as I muttered this. There was no mistaking it. It was Aincrad. The huge floating castle drifted amongst the endless skies, waiting for the day when a warrior would conquer all 100 floors. Was that just a dream? We had spent two years fighting within that world of swords and battles, and yet now it was beneath our feet, a great distance away.

I had seen the exterior of Aincrad before in various news articles that had been written about SAO. But this was the first time that I saw the iron castle with my own two eyes, floating among the clouds in all its glory. I held my breath as a dark feeling overcame me.

I remembered the last moments of the duel I had with Heathcliff. No, the duel I had with Kayaba. Kayaba Akihiko. As though he sensed that I had invoked his name, his voice spoke from behind the two of us.

"An impressive sight."

As I turned my head towards the right, my brain slowly registered the imposing figure of the «Holy Knight Heathcliff». As he stood watching the floating castle of «Aincrad», I could make out the vivid red armour that he wore superimposed on the face of the man I had seen many times in countless scene and gaming magazines. His face shared some resemblance to the face of Heathcliff; however, Kayaba's face was now changed to his real face. I opened my mouth to ask the paladin a question.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You died." he answered. "As did Asuna-chan." He stared into my eyes. Behind those dark brown eyes I thought I could detect a fleeting moment of sadness; but then it was gone. "But you are alive here, away from the world of SAO."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to talk with you after death. I made this place in order to speak to the both of you after your deaths. But I never expected the both of you to die at same time."

I paused for a moment.

"…What about everyone else who died?" I asked. "Both of us are already dead, yet we continue to exist here. Doesn't that mean you can return the dead to the real world?"

Kayaba's expression didn't change. He put his hands into his pockets, and spoke.

"Life can't be recovered so easily. The dead will never return. They will disappear— this fact remains true in every world. I created this place only because I wanted to talk with you two."

Was that something that somebody, who was the reason behind the deaths of four thousand people, should be saying?

"But you can return to that world."

At this he caught our attention. Asuna, who had remained silent until now, posed a question to him.

"Return?" she asked. From her tone, and something else, I could tell she was as just as perplexed at this statement as I was.

"Yes. Return." He gestured with his palm towards the floating castle. "Exactly what it sounds like. Return."

He paused for a moment, seemingly for dramatic effect, before speaking the words that would haunt my mind for the times ahead.

"Return to..."

* * *

**Glossary and Co.:**

**-chan, -kun, -san, -sama** – Personal suffixes attached to a person's name. Usually used in reference to a close friend or relative. I can never remember which one is which. I think –chan is in reference to females and –kun is in reference to males, while –san is for equals. –sama is a more respectful form of –san, used in reference to elders/people of higher standing. I could be wrong. Yeah, I'm probably wrong. Actually, I am wrong. But I want to have _something_ in my glossary.

Oh well. Try Wikipedia. They explain everything more complicated and in detail x100.

* * *

**A/N: So, the end of Chapter 2! What did you think? I don't really know; I just wanted to get Kirito's and Asuna's situation out of the way. But don't worry, we won't be hearing from then for a while! MUWAHAHAHAHAHA. Their fate still remains to be seen! AHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!1!11!111!one. THE SUSPENSE!11!1!1 (Not really.)**

**Cliffhanger. I'm mean. BUT IM THE WRITER! I HAVE **_**P-O-W-E-R**_**! Illusionary power, but still. Sorry for the cliffhanger. :/**

***Ahem*. Anyways…thanks for reading, and please review!**


	4. First Boss

**Memories – First Boss**

**Floor 1, 2022****年****12****月****4****日**

The Kobold King's figure suddenly stopped, its strength draining from its body. Staggering, it fell backwards, and giving out a final howl shattered into a million shards of light.

«Congratulations!»

As the finishing screen popped up, confetti fell down from the ceiling. A loud cheer erupted from the large raid group that had been facing death only moments before, and as I watched they all slapped each other on the backs, congratulating everyone. But the main focus was on the figure slumped over on the floor, Kirito. As I watched him breathing heavily on the floor, the girl he was partying with walked over to him, before whispering a few words into his ear. As I looked on, I could've sworn I knew the reckless swordsman with his palms on the floor.

Unexpectedly, I sensed an angry presence close to my position, and melting into the shadows I watched as a figure walked towards Kirito and shouted at the figure huddled on the floor.

"-Why!?"

The shout came from the man named Kibaou. As everyone's heads turned around to face the man, he continued speaking, his body shaking from tears and rage. As I watched him carefully, he took a few steps forward, before inhaling another breath to speak.

"-Why did you leave Diabel-san to die!?"

At these words a silence colder than death filled the room. Even I, huddled in the corner with my cloak wrapped around my body shivered as he directed an icy stare at the man – no, boy – who had performed the «Last Attack» on the boss.

Looking over towards the shape of the boy sitting on the ground, I could feel that he didn't – or couldn't – understand his words.

"Let him die...?"

"That's right! Because… because you knew the skills the boss used, didn't you! If you gave us that information from the start, Diabel wouldn't have died!""

"…"

Another silence filled the room. As I watched, I could see doubt assail the faces of the people gathered as they began to mutter to each other. I could only catch a glimpse of the words which they spoke, but their meaning was clear. As Kibaou took a step towards Kirito, I fingered the «Curved Knife» concealed within my cloak. If he took a few steps closer…

Eventually he came to stop in front of Kirito, and pointing an accusatory finger he yelled:

"I… I know! This guy, he's a beta tester! That's the only reason why he could know about the boss' attack patterns, all the good hunting spots and quests! He knows all of them! He hid their info despite knowing about them!"

As a member of the party that was Group C, I wondered how I had ended up in this idiot's party. However, I was content to let this fool run his errand, and relaxing my body I pressed myself further into the wall.

In the brief pause after Kibaou's words, the giant named Egil spoke up, assuming the voice of reason in the adrenaline fuelled atomosphere that hung low in the room.

"Even so, the guide that was handed out yesterday only held information on the boss's attack pattern from the beta testing, right? If he was really a beta tester, wouldn't his knowledge be the same as in the guide?" Agil spoke in calm and measured tones, attempting to diffuse the situation.

"That, that is…" Kibaou protested. "No! Wait! It must be that…the strategy guide was a lie!" At these words the volume inside the room increased, but Kibaou talked on, ignoring the chorus of protests and accusations. "Argo was selling lies! It must be that! And they are a beta tester after all; there's no way she would have given us the truth for free.

I could sense the tension in the room rising, like a kettle that is about to boil over.

_-This is bad. If someone doesn't do something now…_

_ …But what is that something?_

And then a thought came into my head. I looked over to Kirito, and in that moment our eyes met. I could feel a sense of recognition in his gaze. In that moment, I tried to remember where I had seen those eyes before; surely it couldn't be? But before I could ascertain whether my hunch was right, he turned away, and rising to his feet started to laugh.

He took a step forward, a brazen expression on his face, and slowly raising his head focused his freezing stare onto Kibaou's face. Rolling his head on his shoulders, he opened his mouth and started to speak in a dangerous tone..

"…Beta tester, was it..." A low chuckle came from within his body, and he started to shake in an eerie manner. "…Don't lump me together with those amateurs."

"Wha... What was that...?" Kibaou was clearly caught off guard against this unexpected response.

"Listen here, and listen closely." Kirito started. "SAO's «Closed Beta Test» had a ridiculously low number of people, a mere one-thousand players. When you think about it, there were _hundreds of thousands _of players clamouring for a chance to get into the beta." He paused for a second to collect breath, then continued on.

"So, out of the one thousand players, how many real MMO gamers do you think got selected? Most of them were players who didn't even know how to level up." He paused for effect, letting the meaning of his words sink into our minds. I already knew what he was attempting to do, but I continued to watch in silence. "You guys here are much better than that lot."

Silence filled the room. But Kirito was not done talking.

"—But I'm not like the others." he said, a sneer appearing on his delicate face. "During the beta test, I reached floors higher than anyone else. I learned of the Katana Skills the boss used from fighting against mobs that equipped with katana's in a higher floor. I know more than anyone else could ever know; even Argo would not be able to match me in terms of knowledge."

As the last of his words came chillingly out of his mouth, the room fell into a silence even deeper than before. No one dared to speak out loud, fearing the figure that stood before us. Sensing the opportunity sliding away, I opened my mouth, and inhaling the harsh air spoke.

"That's…beyond the level of a beta tester!" Kibaou said, setting a furious tone against his words. "That's…not fair! You…you're cheating the game! You're a cheater!"

As a clamouring of protest and shouts rose up again, I noticed a myriad of voices flinging accusations at the silent figure. From the garble of sound I could make out differing combinations of the words 'Beta', 'tester' and 'cheater'. As I listened the echo of the words combined to make a distorted sounding word; «Beater».

Sensing that violence in the current situation was investable, I stepped out from my position in the shadows, startling those in the area around me. Ignoring their comments, I started walking forward, and bending over to the ground I picked up one of the fallen boss' weapons, «Kobold Katana». Testing its weight, I gave it a few experimental swings, before dropping my arm down to my side. Knowing I held the full attention of the audience due to my eccentric actions, I raised my newfound blade, directing its tip towards Kirito. His eyes widened, before giving me a small nod in understanding.

"You…" I stepped closer. "You."

Faster than anyone could react, I charged at him, the Katana I held heading towards his exposed throat. Kirito didn't flinch. He stared into my eyes, and before I knew it I had been stopped in my tracks, my weapon parried by the sword from his back. A chorus of gasps echoed around the room, but we held our positions before I stepped away. I put away the weapon, and speaking in a barely audible tone sealed his fate.

"You…you are a «Beater»." I spoke. My words echoed around the room, rebounding against the darkness.

For whether this would be for the better, I did not know. What I did think was c_risis averted_, and I let myself give a small sigh of relief.

In the ensuing silence, he turned around on his heels. Operating his menu window a coat of midnight tones appeared on the slim figure, wrapping him in shades of jet black leather. He started ascending the stairs, and watching him I bid him a silent farewell.

A thought struck me. Quietly backing into a darkened corner, I opened my menu window and sent him a friend request. Looking up, I saw that he had reached the top of the stairs, and was talking to the female warrior that he had partied with. A miniscule smile touched my lips, and turning my head I closed the window, not bothering to check whether he had accepted my request.

In this life, I doubted that we would ever meet again.

* * *

**A/N: And so, ****Memories****. Yes, this is the «Katana» user with «Phantom Blade», if you're a bit slow on the uptake. I'm still trying to figure out the point of this scene myself…but oh well. Consider it plot device fluff. I mean, our main OC gets a «Katana»! And we still don't know his name! (Mainly because I can't think of one.)**

**But, all's well that ends well. I'll reveal his name in a plot twist or something, I don't know. In the meantime, SUSPENSE! WHAT IS OUR MAIN OC's NAME? WILL WE EVER KNOW? OR WILL THE AUTHOR NOT BOTHER TO GIVE HIM A NAME BECAUSE HE'S LAZY?**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and please review!**

**EDIT**:** Minor edits. Haha. **


End file.
